Best Deceptions
by orsinoslady
Summary: Really not a good way to summarize besides saying this is a different take on L&D's relationship.
1. The Best Deceptions

Darcy sat in darkness in his living room, waiting for Caroline to come home

**A/N:** So, I started posting this elsewhere and have gotten good feedback from it, so I thought I'd post it here and see what happens. Right now, it won't be classified as R, just around a PG-13 level. Later on it might change, but if it does I'll make sure to include a warning at the top of the chapter.

Just to give you a back story, this story idea came to me when I was listening to Dashboard Confessional one day, which would explain the song title. The song that I've used in this fic is the song that inspired me to write. In all the chapters a DC song will be used, though when I get to chapters that might need a "happier" song, I might deviate and pick a different artist to convey the mood and feeling. The song included in this chapter is "Best Deceptions" and if you go to , you can find the song. I would suggest listening to it while reading because it gives the story a different quality. Anywho, this story is unbeta'd, so please don't blast me out too badly for mistakes that are in the chapter.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own it, never will.

--

Darcy sat in darkness in his living room, waiting for Caroline to come home. He was quite disturbed by what he had been told the earlier that day. As he sat there, he heard the lock turn in the door and the door open. He waited a few moments and heard the door close, the lock click back into place, and the click of her heels as she walked down the hall towards where he was sitting.

She walked in a few seconds later and Darcy clicked the light on, startling Caroline.

"Will!" she exclaimed when she saw him.

Darcy didn't say anything and watched as she nervously smoothed her hair and picked at invisible lint on her clothes.

"Where have you been?" he asked her with frightening calmness.

"What do you mean? You know where I've been. I've been with the girls since I haven't seen them in a week," she told him as she made her way over to give him a kiss on the lips. At the last moment, he turned his head and she got his cheek.

When she pulled back, she looked at him quizzically.

"Will, darling, what's wrong?"

Will reached onto the table beside him and threw the papers that were on it in front of Caroline. "Would you care to explain this?"

Caroline looked at the papers and paled when she saw the front pages.

"Will, I can explain!" she desperately said.

"In all honesty Caroline, I don't want to hear it," he told her as he stood up, towering over her.

_I heard about your trip.  
I heard about your souvenirs.  
I heard about the cool breeze, in the cool nights,  
And the cool guys that you spent them with.  
Well I guess I should have heard of them from you.  
I guess I should have heard of them from you._

On the cover of the newspapers were pictures of Caroline. They are from when she was supposed to be on a business trip in Europe. Instead, it seems that she had gone to the Caribbean. And she wasn't alone. All the articles feature her on the arm of George Wickham and include more racy photos of them kissing and groping at certain hot spots.

_Don't you see, don't you see, that the charade is over?  
And all the "Best Deceptions" and "Clever Cover Story" awards go to you.  
So kiss me hard 'cause this will be the last time that I let you.  
You will be back someday and this awkward kiss that tells of other people's lips will be of service to keeping you away._

Darcy looked at Caroline with a frightening intensity, causing Caroline to nervously swallow.

"How long has it been going on?" he asked her, bending over to pick the papers up.

"I'm not seeing him darling," she said trying to reach out and touch his arm. He moved back so she couldn't.

"I find it hard to believe you're not seeing him when I believe one of the papers quotes him as saying you two have been seeing each other for a while now. How long was it he said?" Darcy asked, feigning thinking hard. "Oh, yes, I remember now. About a year and a half. If I'm not mistaken, that's a little longer than we've been dating."

Caroline knew she had been caught. She was now trying to think of ways to save this. "Will, he didn't mean anything to me. I've been trying to break up with him."

"I can't believe you honestly think I'll believe you."

"But Will! I love you!" she desperately cried.

"No, I don't think you do. You're in love with my money."

Caroline shook her head and said, "Will, I love you! Not your money! I want to be with you for forever!"

Darcy took a deep breath to calm himself.

_I heard about your regrets.  
I heard that you were feeling sorry.  
I heard from someone that you wish you could set things right between us.  
Well I guess I should have heard of that from you.  
I guess I should have heard of that from you._

"I guess I should have seen it before we started dating, but I was too blinded by what you represented. You were a beautiful woman, _are_ a beautiful woman. But that's all there is to you."

"Will—" she said, trying to interrupt, but Darcy held his hand up, silencing her.

"I don't want to hear it. I want you gone by the end of the week. Everything that's yours and leave your keys here tonight. You can find somewhere else to stay."

_Don't you see, don't you see, that the charade is over?  
And all the "Best Deceptions" and "Clever Cover Story" awards go to you.  
So kiss me hard 'cause this will be the last time that I let you.  
You will be back someday and this awkward kiss that tells of other people's lips will be of service to keeping you away._

Caroline stared at Darcy for a few moments before taking the key to his apartment off her key ring and walking back towards the door. While she seemed outwardly docile, inside she was seething. When she reached the door, she turned back to look at him and said, "Don't think this is over Will."

_I'm waiting for blood to flow to my fingers,  
I'll be all right when my hands get warm. Ignoring the phone,  
I'd rather say nothing. I'd rather you'd never heard my voice.  
You're calling too late too late to be gracious you do not warrant long goodbyes._

With that she left the apartment and walked out of Darcy's life for the time being. Darcy fell back into his chair after he left. He dropped his head into his hands. After taking a few calming breaths, he went and locked the door to the apartment and then made his way to his bedroom, _their _bedroom.

He stood in the door for a few moments before turning the light on and walking to Caroline's closet. He opened the door and pulled her suitcases out. He then started to pull her clothes off the hooks and stuffing them into the suitcases. After he finished with the closet and drawers, he headed to the bathroom and packed her make-up and toiletries up. He took all the bags he had packed and moved it to the living room so when she came to get it she wouldn't have to go into the bedroom anymore.

When he walked back to the bedroom, he found he couldn't walk in. Now that he knew of her deception, he couldn't bring himself to sleep in the bed anymore until he replaced it and the sheets. He was almost positive that she had had George Wickham in his apartment when he had been away.

He quickly turned the light off and shut the door, deciding he'd replace everything tomorrow. He then made his way to the guest room to get some sleep.


	2. Reason to Believe

The next day saw Darcy eating lunch with Charles at a popular Manhattan eatery

**Disclaimer: **Don't own it…never will.

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews. This chapter includes the song "Reason to Believe" from Dusk & Summer. You can listen to it here: /watch?v1NOVCxh0QtE. Again, I suggest listening to the song as you read cause it does help understanding it I guess. Please keep reviewing!

--

The next day saw Darcy eating lunch with Charles at a popular Manhattan eatery. The conversation was a little stilted since Charles had already heard from Caroline that Darcy had ended things with her. He knew that Darcy was probably going to talk to him about it as well or he would be bringing it up. Either way, it was going to be talked about.

They ate their lunch in almost complete silence, with one of them interjecting an inane comment about something of no importance. After their dishes had been cleared, Charles cleared his throat and said, "I'm sorry about Caroline, Will."

Darcy sighed and rubbed his eyes. "You don't have to apologize Charles. I got myself into this situation with her. Ever since we started dating I thought she was hiding something and I chose to ignore it."

"That doesn't make what she did right Will. Especially with George Wickham, the man you absolutely hate."

Darcy just shrugged and didn't say anything. After a few moments of silence, Charles broke it by saying, "While she maybe my sister, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed her being brought down off her pedestal by having her picture everywhere in trashy tabloids."

Darcy chuckled. "Looking back on it, it is priceless. Though I do wonder why they were printed."

"Well, after Caroline called me this morning to scream at me about it, I made some phone calls. It seems that our boy George was a little stupid. He tipped the papers off that Caroline was dating someone besides you. I don't think he thought his picture would be plastered up there too."

Darcy laughed. "Who knows what he was thinking. Thinking he wouldn't be implicated is just stupid."

"I have to agree with you on that one."

The two of them lapsed into silence again. The waiter brought the check over and they quickly paid before leaving the restaurant and starting a conversation up again before parting ways.

"Will, I want to say thanks for agreeing to come with me tonight," Charles said as he slid his sunglasses on his face.

"It's not a problem Charles. I can honestly say any girl has to be a step up from Caroline, no offense, and I don't mind being there so you can get to know 'your angel' better. Just don't push her onto me."

"I make no promises Will," Charles told him laughing. "I'll see you later tonight."

Darcy watched Charles hail a cab and then started to walk back to his own building, thinking about the evening coming up.

--

Later that evening, Darcy walked into an upscale restaurant, quickly scanning to see if he could find Charles. He saw Charles waving to him and made his way over after telling the maître-de that his party was already there. He then threaded his way through the tables, keeping his eye on Charles the entire time.

When he reached the table, Charles stood up and said, "Will this is Jane Bennet. Jane, this is William Darcy."

Darcy shook Jane's hand before sitting down. The three of them exchanged pleasantries before Jane said, "I was just telling Charles that my sister was going to be a few minutes late because she got held up at work."

"No problem," he said.

Charles and Jane then started their own conversation and Darcy started to scan the restaurant, wondering what Jane's sister looked like. As his gaze swept over the door, he saw one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen.

_Oh sweet lungs don't fail me now  
Your burning has turned into fear  
That trails me in my every step, I'm moving quick but you're always on my heels_

She had long brown curly hair and lightly tanned skin. While he couldn't make out what her eyes looked like, he tried to fill the blanks in.__

Just one more breath, I beg you please  
Just one more step, my knees are weak  
My heart is sturdy but it needs you to survive  
My heart is sturdy but it needs you

He allowed his eyes to caress her figure. She had a nice sized chest, what looked like a trim waist and an amazing set of legs that were perfectly shown in the dress she was wearing. He then allowed his eyes to wander back up to her face and saw that she was scanning the room for someone. A few seconds later, she lifted her hand to signal to someone that she saw them and started to pick her way through the tables.

_Breathe, don't you want to breathe?  
I know that you are strong enough to handle what I need  
My capillaries scream, there's nothing left to feed on  
My body needs a reason to cross that line  
Will you carry me there one more time?_

Darcy found himself somewhat short of breath as he watched her move across the restaurant. This was the first time he had been this affected by a woman in a long time. Even Caroline in the beginning hadn't made him this aware of her. He snapped back to reality when he saw her stop at his table and talk to Jane.

_Steady lungs, don't fail me now  
I feel you bursting but you won't let me die  
Fill me up with every step  
I'm feeling sick, but I'm leaving it behind_

Just one long breath I beg you please  
Just one more step you are not weak  
My legs are sturdy but they need you to survive  
My heart is sturdy but I need you

"Will," Jane said, trying to get his attention. When she had it, she continued by saying, "This is my sister Elizabeth. Lizzie, this is Will Darcy, Charles' friend."

Will stood and shook her hand, saying hello to her. After she sat down, he followed suit and nervously swallowed. He glanced at her and saw that she had raised an eyebrow at him.

_Breathe, don't you want to breathe?  
And know that you are strong enough to handle what I need  
My capillaries scream, there's nothing left to feed on  
My body needs a reason to cross that line  
Will you carry me there once more?_

"What is it you do Mr. Darcy?" Elizabeth asked him, calmly sipping from her water glass.

Darcy then realized she knew he had been staring at her. He felt his face start to heat up. Charles happened to glance over at Darcy and said, "I say Will, what's wrong? You are quite red."

"Nothing Charles, I'm just a little warm, that's all," he said as he took a sip of water, hoping to cool himself off.

Darcy quickly stole a glance at Elizabeth and saw that she was trying to stifle her laughter behind her hand.

_I have reason to believe that I have victories to taste  
I can feel them on my teeth, upon my lips and in my chest  
I can roll them on my tongue, they are more supple than defeat  
I feel the tension in my lungs and every move is fueled by my resolve to_

Darcy realized that Charles and Jane had gone back into their own world and looked at Elizabeth before saying, "Do you enjoy the follies of others?"

His question caught her completely off guard.

"What do you mean?" she asked him once she recovered from the shock.

"You know that I was looking at you. And yet you don't seem to be offended by it and are even laughing at it. Do you enjoy what other people do or do you just not care?"

"I think you could say it stems from me enjoying watching what other people do. I noticed you staring as soon as I walked in and I thought it was particularly funny when I stopped at your table. I thought you might actually pass out."

Darcy could feel himself blushing again.

"A man that blushes," Elizabeth stated. "That's something you don't see everyday."

Darcy's blush got deeper. Elizabeth had mercy on him and changed the subject. The two of them continued their conversation for a little while, pausing only when Jane and Charles joined in and the waiter was at the table.

By the end of the evening, Darcy was quite enamored of Elizabeth and Elizabeth found herself wanting to know more about this Mr. Darcy.

As the foursome was leaving the restaurant, they all made plans to meet up that weekend for a picnic in a park near Jane and Elizabeth's apartment before going their separate ways.

Elizabeth and Darcy stood awkwardly to the side as Jane and Charles said goodbye to each other and then said goodbye themselves before walking away. They both sent a few glances over their shoulders as they walked away, sometimes catching the other looking back. Each time their eyes met, they would color and quickly turn around, only to glance back again a second later.

In their private musings, they were both quite happy with the evening and couldn't wait to see what the weekend brought.

_Breathe, don't you want to breathe?  
I know that you are strong enough to handle what I need  
My capillaries scream, there's nothing left to feed on  
My body needs a reason to cross that line  
Will you carry me there one more time?_


	3. Fever Dreams

Lizzie and Jane quickly hailed a cab after leaving the restaurant

**A/N:** Sorry for the delay guys. I meant to post this a long time ago and life interfered. It took me getting a set of reviews from a particular reviewer to get me to get off my ass and post the next chapter. Anyways, the song included in this chapter is "Fever Dreams" off their most recent album "Shade of Poison Trees." Youtube has one or two videos with the song on it if you want to listen to it.

--

Lizzie and Jane quickly hailed a cab after leaving the restaurant. They rode to their apartment in silence, each caught in their own thoughts. After paying the cab driver, they made their way up to their apartment, still in silence. As soon as the door was shut, Jane looked at Lizzie and said, "You are attracted to Will."

Lizzie tried to play it off by saying, "What do you mean? I had to talk to someone while you were all lovey dovey on Charles all night."

Lizzie started to walk down the hall towards her room, hoping Jane would drop it. "I don't believe that for a minute Elizabeth Bennet!"

Lizzie tried to ignore her, but it wasn't working since Jane was still teasing Lizzie about Darcy.

"Jane, do you mind dropping it? Even if I was attracted to him, which I'm not," she quickly added turning around so Jane couldn't see the blush, "I wouldn't want to get into anything right now. It's still too soon."

Jane sighed. "Lizzie, it's been almost three months since you caught George with that woman."

"That doesn't mean it's any less fresh," Lizzie told her as she put her pajamas on. "George has really jaded me. Especially since he was already dating Caroline when we started to see each other. I'm just glad that I didn't sleep with him or anything. That would have been horrifying for me if I had."

Jane watched Lizzie move around her room and realized that she wouldn't be able to get anymore out of her. She left her room and walked to the living room, glancing down at the paper on the table.

"Lizzie!" she frantically called when she saw what was on the front page. "Come here!"

Lizzie quickly walked down the hall and asked, "What's wrong Jane?" when she reached the living room.

She took the paper from Jane's hand and looked at the headline. She gasped when she saw the picture and caption that came with it: Caroline Bingley, girlfriend of William Darcy, CEO of Darcy Enterprises, pictured her with her long-time secret lover George Wickham.

"Will was dating Caroline?" Lizzie murmured incredulously

"It would seem that way," Jane said, just as confused.

Lizzie quickly put the paper down and made her way back to her room, shutting the door behind her. Jane watched her leave, worried that Lizzie might go back to the depression she had been in right after she and George had broken up.

--

Later that night, Lizzie was lying on her bed, thinking about Will Darcy. She had felt an immediate attraction to him that wouldn't go away. It seems that they had more in common than she originally thought. They had both been cheated on by their significant other. But Lizzie didn't allow her thoughts to stay on bad things. She allowed them to wander to Will and how handsome she thought he was.

_Fever Dreams  
Can only haunt you  
'Til the fever breaks_

They can only haunt you  
'Til the fever breaks

They can only haunt you  
'Til the fever breaks

They can only haunt you

Across the city, Darcy was thinking about Lizzie as well and how she had made quite the impression on him. While he was attracted to her, he didn't want to jump into anything at the moment. He figured he'd have to talk to her about Caroline if they both discovered that they wanted to pursue something.

_Beneath your skin  
And your games  
You're alone_

But you're so contagious  
Tell me, what am I to do?  
When a fire, and a fever rages

And I have caught it too,  
So who's to blame

Their thoughts were surprisingly similar considering Will didn't know about her dating George briefly. She knew it was something that she would have to tell him and hope that he wouldn't be turned off her completely if it ever got to the point where they might date.

_Fever Dreams  
They can only haunt you  
'Til the fever breaks  
They can only haunt you_

I've had enough of these moves  
I've had enough of these moves  
You get everything with  
I've lost all I can lose  
To your skill and your games

But you're so contagious, so contagious

--

The days leading up to the picnic passed by fairly quickly. The four of them were busy with work, trying to get as much done before Saturday so they wouldn't have to worry about anything happening preventing them from attending. So by the time Saturday morning rolled around, everyone was quite ready to have a relaxing afternoon.

About 11:30 that Saturday morning found Lizzie and Jane already in the park setting the picnic up, waiting for the men to arrive. About noon, Jane spotted Darcy and Charles walking towards them. When they were close enough, Jane called out to them and went over to greet Charles.

Darcy looked at Lizzie and smiled. Lizzie smiled back at him and then shyly glanced to the side.

_Fever dreams  
Can only haunt you  
'Til the fever breaks_

They can only haunt you  
'Til the fever breaks

They can only haunt you  
'Til the fever breaks

They can only haunt you  
'Til the fever breaks

Charles and Jane joined them, everyone exchanging pleasantries and sitting on the blanket. After passing the food out, the four of them made small talk, with Charles trying to get to know Lizzie since she was Jane's favorite sister and room mate. They quickly ate lunch and then Jane and Charles wandered off down one of the garden paths.

Lizzie and Darcy sat there for a few moments of uncomfortable silence. Darcy was uncomfortable because he liked Lizzie, but didn't want to seem like a love struck fool or hint at something that he wasn't willing to give to her at the moment. Lizzie was uncomfortable because of what she had found out a few days previously. She knew that Darcy was recovering from what she assumed had to be a very bad break up, which is why she didn't try to come onto him and just talked as she would to one of her friends. Darcy eventually broke it by asking, "What is it you do? I don't remember asking you the other night or you mentioning it earlier."

Lizzie cleared her throat before answering, "I teach high school English at a private prep school in Manhattan."

"Do you enjoy it?"

"I enjoy it to an extent. I love teaching English, so that's not too bad," Lizzie said. "But sometimes the students can be hard to handle, which is true for everyone."

"How so?" Darcy asked, laying down and squinting at her.

"Most schools have their trying days. A good portion of the time it's discipline related. At my school I think it's more attitude related. Just about everyone there has a lot of money and they flaunt it."

Lizzie paused for a moment before saying, "I guess you could say they've been spoiled for all their lives and when I make them do something that they don't want to do or hold them accountable for something they haven't been held accountable for before, they can get to be a bit bitchy."

Darcy laughed. "I know what you mean. My sister Georgia, who is now in college, was a little bit of a terror in high school. She wasn't as bad as some girls, don't get me wrong, but she definitely had her moments."

Lizzie nodded. "What do you do?" Lizzie asked him after a few moments of silence.

"I own the company my grandfather started, Darcy Enterprises."

Lizzie's eyebrows shot up. "You own it?"

Darcy nodded, trying to restrain his laughter from the look on her face.

"What's so funny?" Lizzie asked huffily.

"Your facial expression is quite priceless. I can honestly say you are one of the first people I've met that doesn't know who I am."

Lizzie shrugged and said, "I don't pay much attention to some things, Darcy Enterprises being one of them."

Darcy nodded and changed the subject. The two of them continued to talk and get to know each other, both of them thinking that they would really like to get to know the other person more as the afternoon wore on.

Eventually, Jane and Charles came back to the blanket, stating that they were going to go catch a movie and that they two of them were more than welcome to tag along. Both declined, stating previous engagements. After packing the picnic stuff up, Lizzie waved goodbye to Jane and Charles and then said, "Bye Will. I hope to see you again soon."

As she walked away, she heard Darcy say, "You can count on seeing me again Elizabeth."

_But you're so contagious  
Tell me, what am I to do?  
When a fire and a fever rages  
And I have caught it too,  
So who's blame  
For who gets burned  
For holding you?_


	4. Petty Little Bombs

The next few days saw Darcy and Lizzie still constantly thinking about the other

**Disclaimer:** I don't own it…never will.

**A/N:** Sorry it's taken so long for me to upload this chapter. Got super busy with getting stuff together for the upcoming school year and went on a mini-vacation. I should have the next chapter uploaded a little later this week, but it will depend on whether certain things happen or not. For those of you keeping tabs, the song in this chapter is called "Petty Little Bombs" and is off their album "The Shade of Poison Trees." Enjoy!

--

The next few days saw Darcy and Lizzie still constantly thinking about the other. They both had their mind on Darcy's parting comment to her. Lizzie because she was giddy with excitement, wondering when he would show up; Darcy because he was trying to figure out how to see Lizzie when he knew absolutely nothing about her. Because of this, they didn't see each other for a while. Darcy was also a little nervous to express any interest in her. He knew the moment he did, Charles would be on him teasing him about being infatuated with Lizzie. So he kept it to himself.

But after about a week of stewing in his attraction, he finally approached Charles to subtly mention Lizzie to him to glean information.

"How are things Charles?" he asked as a way of greeting.

Charles sighed and said, "They could be better in some aspects, but overall it's not that bad."

"What do you mean?" Darcy asked as he took a seat across from Charles.

"Things with Jane have been perfect. More than perfect actually," Charles stated wistfully. He shook himself before continuing, "But Caroline has become quite the handful."

Darcy raised an eyebrow at Charles statement, causing him to continue.

"Ever since you threw her out on her ass, rightfully so, she has been coming around to my flat begging for money and trying to get me to convince you that it was all a big misunderstanding."

Darcy didn't say anything, he just continued to stare at Charles. After a few moments of silence, Darcy said, "I'm assuming that she's begging you to allow her to meet with me as well?"

Charles nodded. "But I'm being quite adamant in the fact that she royally screwed up and there is no chance in hell of her ever fixing what was already broken in the first place."

The two of them sat there in silence for a few minutes, each of them thinking of what had just been said. Charles fidgeted at his desk nervously, wondering what Darcy was going to say. He knew that Darcy was very angry with his sister for playing him the way she had for so long a time. After a few minutes of silence, Darcy finally said, "Would you, Jane, and Jane's sister, Elizabeth right? like to have dinner tomorrow night?"

Charles startled when Darcy spoke. He wasn't expecting the question that he got. Charles looked hard at Darcy, but saw that his friends face was an unreadable mask. He narrowed his eyes slightly, wondering if there was an ulterior motive behind Darcy asking him this, but he didn't say anything.

"That should be fine. Let me call Jane and run it by her, but you want to do that Italian restaurant downtown at 7?"

Darcy nodded and stood up, stating that he had to get back to work. Charles watched him as he walked away, pondering why Darcy would ask to have dinner with the three of them. He shook his head and picked the phone up to call Jane, leaning back in the chair to become comfortable and settled in for a long conversation

--

The next evening, Darcy was the first one to arrive at the restaurant. As he was led to his table he glanced around the restaurant to see whether he knew anyone, but didn't see anyone that he knew. He thanked the host as he sat down and picked up the wine menu to order a bottle of wine for dinner.

He was about halfway down the list when someone cleared their throat behind him and said, "Will, darling, how are you doing?"

Darcy immediately stiffened. He would recognize that voice anywhere because it was the voice that now haunted his dreams.

"Caroline," Darcy tersely responded, not turning around.

He heard Caroline walking around so she could face him and said, "Won't you look at me Will, darling?"

Darcy inwardly sighed and looked up at Caroline.

"There, that's better isn't it?" she asked, smiling.

Darcy didn't move. Inwardly he was asking himself what he had every seen in her because now he could see that she was superficial and fake, not at all the way she had presented herself when they had initially started dating.

"You never answered my question, how are you?" she asked, taking a step towards him.

Darcy stifled the urge to scoot his chair away from her and said, "I'm fine."

"That's good," she stated as she took another step closer. "I've actually been trying to get in contact with you. I wanted to tell you that I forgive you for overreacting and I'm ready to come back home."

_How can you ask for forgiveness,  
So now you think that your crimes are victim less?  
I know you and your sins,  
Your retributions,  
So how will you lay your penance down?  
We all pay in time,  
So how will you clear your conscience when your clock unwinds?_

Darcy stared at Caroline incredulously. He thought it was obvious she had gone mental.

"What do you mean?" he asked her after a few moments of silence.

"I mean that I forgive. I understand that you had been told falsehoods about myself and George Wickham, thus causing you to act the way you did."

_I've heard enough of your forked tongue,  
How do you know when the cuts are deep enough?  
I know you like your stabs,  
Your pre-emptive attacks,  
But how will you hold your demons down?  
We're all judged in time,  
How can you seek redemption using alibis?_

You oughta know better than to bait your jailer,  
You oughta know,  
You oughta know better.

Darcy continued to stare at her incredulously. He really couldn't believe the words that were coming out of her mouth. Caroline continued to speak, "I mean, George and I had a brief fling, but I've ended it now. He means nothing to me. You're the one that means something to me."

Darcy was about to respond when he saw George Wickham walk up to Caroline and stand beside her.

"Hey there Darcy, old fellow," George said sardonically, sneering at his childhood friend.

Darcy was rendered speechless. He couldn't believe that on the evening he was going to try and get to know Lizzie better and at least become friends with her he had to see these two. He looked at Caroline and said, "You're not dating him anymore?"

Caroline laughed, but Darcy noticed that it sounded a little forced. "We're meeting tonight to discuss some lasting issues from the break-up."

Darcy raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything in response to what Caroline said. He knew that they were still dating because he had a man constantly watch George Wickham now to make sure he didn't try and make a move on anyone in the Darcy or Fitzwilliam family to extort money.

Suddenly, Darcy heard someone moving around behind him and heard Lizzie say, "I thought I was late, but it's obvious that I'm actually pretty early."

He turned around to face her and smiled, momentarily forgetting that Caroline and George were standing on the other side of the table. Before he could say anything in greeting, however, George interrupted him by saying, "Lizzie, how are you? I haven't seen you in a while."

Darcy saw Lizzie stiffen and a look of panic briefly cross her face. He then saw her look at him with a haunted look on her face before she moved her gaze to George, who was looking at her with an expectant look on his face.

"A while? I don't think it's been long enough," she told him as she sat down in the chair the host had pulled out for her.

George mockingly placed his hand over his heart. "Oh, you wound me!" he sarcastically exclaimed before chuckling to himself.

George then looked down at Darcy and saw the question in his eyes. A creepy smile slowly made its way onto George's face.

_How do you deal with the consequence,  
Now that we bear the weight of your arrogance?  
I know you and your cons,  
Your petty little bombs,  
But who will you blame your troubles on now?  
We all pay in time,  
So how will you clear your conscience when your lies unwind?_

"Do you not know?" George asked even though he already knew the answer. "I dated Lizzie."

George gleefully watched the realization come into Darcy's eyes. George then leaned down so he could whisper in Darcy's ear (but loud enough that Lizzie and Caroline could hear as well), "She was probably one of the best fucks I've ever had."

Darcy heard Lizzie's sharp intake of breath and saw the look of triumph cross George's face. He then saw Lizzie walk into his line of vision and slap George across the face. A look of genuine surprise crossed his face as he brought his hand up to cradle his stinging cheek.

"Don't you EVER say that about me again! I never slept with you and I never will!" Lizzie exclaimed hotly.

She then quickly turned around and Darcy saw that there were tears in her eyes. He watched as she struggled to remain composed. He then noticed that a good portion of the restaurant was looking their way. Darcy quickly scanned the crowd and got the attention of the host who made his way over to their table quickly.

"What can I do for you, sir?" the host asked as he looked the two people standing beside the table.

"These two people," Darcy said gesturing to Caroline and George, "are disrupting my dinner. Can you please have them escorted off the premises?"

The host nodded and waved his hand at a waiter across the restaurant, who scampered off to do what the host wanted. A few minutes later two burly security guards came up and took Caroline and George by the arm and started to lead them towards the door.

Darcy and Lizzie watched in silence and then turned towards each other. Lizzie slowly walked back to her seat a sat down, taking a sip of water before stating, "As you can probably tell, George and I dated. In actuality, the reason I broke up with George was because I found him with Caroline one day when I went by his apartment to surprise him. I didn't know who she was or who she was dating until a few weeks ago when I saw a cover story on a gossip rag."

Lizzie took a breath and Darcy could see that she was going to continue, so he put his hand over one of hers and said, "Lizzie, that doesn't matter. I don't care that you dated him. All I care about is making sure you're okay and that we can become friends."

Lizzie smiled at him, grateful that he didn't think she was the lowest scum of the Earth for going out with George Wickham.

"What do you say we order a bottle of wine and start to get to know each other until Jane and Charles get here?" Darcy asked as he flagged a waiter down.

_You oughta know better than to bait your jailer.  
You oughta know better than to test your luck.  
You oughta know better than to bite who feeds 'ya.  
You oughta know, you oughta know better..._

How can you ask for forgiveness,  
How can you think that your crimes are victim less,  
I know you and your sins,  
Your retributions,  
So how will you lay your penance down?  
We're all judged in time,  
So how will you clear your conscience when your lies unwind?


	5. Don't Wait

Luckily for Darcy and Elizabeth, once Caroline and Wickham were escorted from the restaurant they were able to enjoy each others company until Charles and Jane arrived

**Disclaimer:** Don't own it.

**A/N:** Here's the next installment. The song in this chapter is "Don't Wait" off their album "Dusk and Summer." I hope you enjoy!

--

Luckily for Darcy and Elizabeth, once Caroline and Wickham were escorted from the restaurant they were able to enjoy each others company until Charles and Jane arrived. And, you can imagine the surprise on their faces when they saw Elizabeth and Darcy talking intimately when they arrived ten minutes later.

"Darcy," Charles greeted with a puzzled look on his face.

"Charles," he returned as he shook Charles' hand.

Charles then turned to help Jane into her seat before taking his own. He waited patiently while Jane and Elizabeth talked quietly, but cleared his throat when he got an opportunity to get Jane's attention. Jane glanced at him and then realized what he meant.

"So sorry we were late. Charles got a call from Caroline. She was apparently thrown from a restaurant," Jane said apologetically.

Darcy and Elizabeth glanced at each other and tried to repress their laughter, but failed miserably. The two of them dissolved into laughter while Charles and Jane looked at them hopelessly. After a few moments of laughing, they eventually quieted down and proceeded to outline the eventful evening they had had since arriving at the restaurant.

By the end of their narration, Charles was mortified by his sister's behavior, especially because of the way she caused a scene in an upscale restaurant. He could only imagine what photos might show up in a tabloid in the next week featuring his best friend and his sister. Jane had turned to Elizabeth at the end and was making sure she was okay. She knew about her remaining hang-ups from her and George's break-up. It took Elizabeth a little while, but she was eventually able to assure Jane that she was fine and she was none the worse for the wear from the encounter.

After mutual assurances on both sides, the four of them were able to settle into a comfortable conversation, pausing only to order their meal and receive their drinks. Even though the beginning of the evening had been rocky, the rest of the evening passed smoothly. Darcy and Elizabeth found that they enjoyed each others company very much and Charles and Jane were wondering whether they were seeing what they thought they were between their best friends.

At the end of the evening, while Charles and Jane were gathering their things and not paying attention to the two of them, Darcy asked Elizabeth if it was alright if he called her sometime, just to chat and if maybe they could have lunch together one weekend. Elizabeth said that she would like that and quickly scribbled her number on a scrap of paper. Luckily, they were able to accomplish this without Charles and Jane noticing.

As they parted ways outside the restaurant, they sent each other a small smile, giddy with the thought of their blossoming relationship.

--

Two days later saw Darcy calling Elizabeth and anxiously waiting for her to answer. He was worried that she wouldn't be home or that she would regret giving him or number. Then the thought that she might have given him a fake number crossed his mind. He was so worried about her giving him a wrong number that he didn't hear her answer the phone. He tuned in on the third hello.

"Hello, is Elizabeth there?" he asked nervously.

"This is she. May I ask who is speaking?" she asked him in a cool voice, causing him to doubt whether he should have called.

"This is William Darcy," he said, hoping she couldn't hear the slight tremor in his voice. He felt like he was back in high school again.

_The sky glows  
I see it shining when my eyes close  
I hear your warnings but we both know  
I'm gonna look at it again_

"Oh, hello William," she said, her voice immediately warming.

Darcy let out a breath of relief. He really was worried that she regretted giving him her phone number.

"I was beginning to wonder when you'd call me," she teasingly said.

Darcy let out a small laugh and said, "Well, I had to think about when a good time to call was. I didn't want to seem like I was stalking you by calling you the next night, which I really wanted to do."

Elizabeth laughed at his statement. Her laughter was music to his ears. After a few preliminary questions where they asked each other how their week was going, they started to talk to each other about more personal things in their life. Elizabeth talked about her job and how she absolutely loved teaching and Darcy talked about both of his parents' premature deaths and how he was thrust into the life he now led.

Before either of them realized it, they had been on the phone for almost two hours. When Elizabeth realized how late it was, she laughingly told him that she had to go so she could make sure she had enough energy to keep up with her students the next day. William chuckled with her and after asking if it would be okay if he called her again the next evening, wished her a good night and hung up the phone.

_Don't wait, Don't wait  
The road is now a sudden sea  
And suddenly, you're deep enough  
To lay your armor down  
To lay your armor down  
To lay your armor down_

What started as a simple phone call that first night turned into a nightly ritual for the two of them. Later in the evening Darcy would call Elizabeth and talk to her about her day and all manners of things. They both found out that they had many things in common and they enjoyed having the companionship that they had developed because of their nightly conversations.

_You get one look  
I'll show you something that the knife took.  
A bit too early for my own good  
Now let's not speak of it again_

The one thing that was never brought up was where their relationship was going. They were both perfectly happy to remain friends. Darcy because Caroline was still too fresh, not that she was anything like Elizabeth, but the memories still lingered. For Elizabeth, though she knew Darcy was nothing like George Wickham, the pain of seeing him with another woman was still near the surface, so she wasn't sure whether she was ready to put herself on the line again.

So the two of them were happy with where they were. Neither of them held any expectations for anything further to happen, at least right now. They both knew in the back of their minds that eventually their relationship would change, but they weren't in any rush to hasten to that point.

_Don't wait, Don't wait  
The road is now a sudden sea  
And suddenly, you're deep enough  
To lay your armor down  
To lay your armor down  
To lay your armor down_

So the next few months of their life had them talking nightly and occasionally meeting for lunches with Charles and Jane and every so often, just the two of them. As the year progressed, their feelings for each other continued to grow as they were in each others company and Darcy found himself coming closer and closer to asking Elizabeth out on an actual date.

Luckily for the two of them, during their blossoming relationship, they heard absolutely nothing from Caroline or George Wickham. Charles stated that he heard from Caroline every so often, but for the most part he didn't know anything about where she was or what she was doing. That in and of itself scared Darcy, so he hired an investigator to try and find her and make sure she wasn't up to anything that could be potentially harmful for him and Elizabeth.

Finally, almost a year to the day they had originally met, Darcy gathered the courage to ask Elizabeth out on a date. He started off the process by sending her roses at work and not signing the card. At lunchtime he had her favorite meal delivered to the school for her to eat along with her favorite dessert. This one also included a card that stated:

_Only the best for the best thing in my life._

_A Secret Admirer_

Elizabeth had blushed when she read that and quickly tucked it away so none of the teachers in the lounge would try to read it. When she was questioned about the lunch, she said that her sister wanted to make sure she had a good day since she was having some trouble with some students.

That evening when she arrived home, there was a note taped to the door that said:

_Follow the path and see your heart's desire._

Elizabeth's heart did a flip when she read that sentence. She knew that her heart's desire was to be with Darcy or William as she called him. But she wasn't so sure that was what he wanted since he was so good at masking his real feelings. She quickly unlocked her door and laughed at the trail that had been laid down. Instead of using rose petals like most people would, Darcy had used books since he knew that she loved to read.

Elizabeth put her stuff down by the door and followed the books into her bedroom. She gasped when she saw what had been done to it. On her bed was a white sheet with lights underneath it, making it seem like her bed glowed. There was a small bouquet of lilies beside another small card. She walked to her bed and lifted the card, fingering the envelope before opening it and reading what was written inside.

_If poetry is the food of love,_

_Then play on._

_But I know you don't like poetry,_

_Or a simple song._

_So I'll keep this short_

_But none-the-less strong._

_Will you go out with me this Friday_

_And become my heart's desire?_

_Love,_

_William_

Elizabeth smiled softly to herself as she read the poem. She quickly wiped at her eyes because she could feel herself tearing up at how sweet he was. She put the note down and made her way to the phone to dial a number she knew by heart. She chewed her lip as she waited for him to answer, hoping that he was home.

When he answered, she took a deep breath and said, "I have my answer to your question."

_Don't wait, Don't wait  
The lights will flash and fade away  
The days will pass you by  
Don't wait  
To lay your armor down_


End file.
